British Gas have ruined my Credit file

[slickers]

I posted this on another forum and then found yours. Can you please help me?

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British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Hi guys,

I'm seeking some advice about where I stand with getting a default that british gas have registered on my credit file removed? Basically they have scr£wed my credit file for a few late payments a couple of years ago on a shared bill in a rented property.

I only became aware of this when I checked my credit file recently. I'm devastated. I have mortgages, a loan, numerous credit cards over the years and am diligent about never missing a payment and keeping my credit file in order. I simply had NO idea utility companies even did this, well British Gas and a few others.

By way of background, I never signed any agreement with British gas. I just moved into a shared property and was added to the account. They NEVER informed me that my credit file was at risk at any point.

Do I have any legal recourse with them?

All advice welcome.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

I have had success in removing such defaults in the past, however there is no guarantee - this usually results in your sending a complaint to the CEO - they then arrange removal... worth a try!

For some reading, and the template in question - see this previous thread (I am awaiting a reply to my email to get an update from that particular poster) --> British Gas Late Payments affecting Mortgage! - allaboutFORUMS

Niddy :niddy

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

** For the benefit of others the above two posts were via PM and I started the thread and copied the PM content.

:niddy

[jen_br]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Fyi if it helps BG did this to me when I moved - I got them to remove it letter to ceo within 72 hrs resolved

Good luck

[slickers]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Thanks guys.

Presumably Phil Bentley is now the guy to write to? I see he's MD, is Chris Jansen still CEO?

Getting mixed results from a bit of google researching....

[The Tech Clerk]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

phil.bentley@centrica.co.uk

is the E.Mail The e-mail address you require is
phil.bentley@centrica.co.uk
address you want

[slickers]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Guys, they've well and truly screwed me over.

Here's their response. And they state that they should take this as their final position.

Any other suggestions?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr XXXXXX

Thank you for your email below.

This was addressed to Phil Bentley, our Managing Director. He has asked me to address your concerns and respond to you directly.

When you move in to a property supplied by British Gas you enter in to a deemed contract covered in section 1.3 of our terms and conditions. We will treat you as if you had agreed to the terms and conditions from the date that you have responsibility for the property. How we share your information with credit reference agencies is covered in section 10.8d. You can find our terms and conditions at Standard Tariff - Terms and conditions - British Gas.

You have advised in your email you were not made aware that British Gas shared information with credit reference agencies. After investigation of your account I located several reminders for overdue bills advising that we share your information with credit reference agencies. I have attached these reminders for ease of reference.

I can see you called us 6 October 2012 to complain about the same issue and you were advised the late payments had been reported correctly and therefore we are not in a position to remove them. You should accept this as our final position.

If you would like to discuss the matter further you can call me on 01784 874994. My hours of work are 10am until 6pm Monday to Friday.

Yours sincerely

Les Pickard
HQ Customer Relations
Managing Directors Office
Tel: 01784 874994
les.pickard@britishgas.co.uk

[helmsman]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Guys, they've well and truly screwed me over.

Here's their response. And they state that they should take this as their final position.

Any other suggestions?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr XXXXXX

Thank you for your email below.

This was addressed to Phil Bentley, our Managing Director. He has asked me to address your concerns and respond to you directly.

When you move in to a property supplied by British Gas you enter in to a deemed contract covered in section 1.3 of our terms and conditions. We will treat you as if you had agreed to the terms and conditions from the date that you have responsibility for the property. How we share your information with credit reference agencies is covered in section 10.8d. You can find our terms and conditions at Standard Tariff - Terms and conditions - British Gas.

You have advised in your email you were not made aware that British Gas shared information with credit reference agencies. After investigation of your account I located several reminders for overdue bills advising that we share your information with credit reference agencies. I have attached these reminders for ease of reference.

I can see you called us 6 October 2012 to complain about the same issue and you were advised the late payments had been reported correctly and therefore we are not in a position to remove them. You should accept this as our final position.

If you would like to discuss the matter further you can call me on 01784 874994. My hours of work are 10am until 6pm Monday to Friday.

Yours sincerely

Les Pickard
HQ Customer Relations
Managing Directors Office
Tel: 01784 874994
les.pickard@britishgas.co.uk

Hi,
Scottish power are always sending me letters saying they have not received this months payment, Ive never set up a payment plan but send via internet banking most months a payment, when I checked the acc I found that I was £500 in credit bloody cheek they have, I hope they are not reporting to a cra not that it makes any difference as cra trashed like a guddon.

[mgfboy]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Is it only british gas that does this and on what grounds do they report this information, also you could miss a payment but still be in credit!!!

[Silverback]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

British Gas were not very nice to Ms Ferguson a little while ago.

So, she did this:

Ferguson v British Gas Trading Ltd [2009] EWCA Civ 46 (10 February 2009)

Lord Justice Jacob:

1. It is one of the glories of this country that every now and then one of its citizens is prepared to take a stand against the big battalions of government or industry. Such a person is Lisa Ferguson, the claimant in this case. Because she funds the claim out of her personal resources, she does so at considerable risk: were she ultimately to lose she would probably have to pay British Gas's considerable costs. I call the defendant "British Gas", its full name being "British Gas Trading Limited."

The Case is worth reading, if only to make you smile.

Silverback

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Is it only british gas that does this and on what grounds do they report this information, also you could miss a payment but still be in credit!!!

E-on do it too matey.

[rachelle]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Im having the same problem with British Gas, they have put adverse credit on my file which should not be there. My complaint has been going on since January 2012 and all I get told is they are waiting for taped phone calls from India. I move out of my house on 4 weeks after years of verbal and physical abuse and cannot get a mortage because of Bristish Gas. My complaint is now with Andy Eley but actually there is no Andy Eley only a team that work for him!!! Very misleading when all bills state write or email Andy Eley. The last contact I had was 3 weeks ago when I was told that it would be resolved in 2 days. Any suggestions????

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Hi rachelle, I've just seen the details of your complaint on the other thread linked above. They really have messed you around haven't they?
Apart from complaining to BG about the way you've been treated, have you used the arguments set out in Niddy's letter stating you have not authorised them to process your data?
Also further down in the linked thread there are other email addresses to try...

Elsa x

[rachelle]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Hi Elsa,

Thank you for your reply. Ive send numerous letters to Andy Eley but they dont seem to get me a result, they have admitted there have been errors!!!!!! I did doctor Niddys letter and had added that in my complaint to BG. The problem started last June when my delightful husband changed the bills into my name without telling me, it took BG 7 months to notify me, if they had done this staright away as they should have I could have delt with it. I complained that they had no right to put it into my name and more the fact it took them 7 months to tell me. I was told that they can put any bill into anyones name!!!!! I have actually got 9 account numbers. I spoke to a lady in the credit department 5 weeks ago and she said I had been treated badly and she would have theses markers removed ans call me at the end of the day.. as I thought ive never heard from her. They are having trouble tracing her call to me which is in India although all calls are recorded. I ring 3 to 4 times a day and they can see that. Myself and my young daughter will be homeless shortly, I cant rent as they do credit checks and rented propertys are very short in the area I live in. I have a big house, a buisiness but cant get a mortgage. Ive never had anything like this on my file. Is it breaching my human rights as im not able to provide myself and Holly the bare essentials to live..... a house??????

[PaulP]

Re: British Gas have ruined my Credit file

Hello there,

I'm in the midst of a dispute with British gas that sounds similar to some of the concerns raised here. My wife and I have been customers since 2011 and have never had a late payment. In June we received our bill. At the time I was preparing for my daughter's prom and a post GCSE trip and was a bit short on cash. I rang British Gas and asked if I could make a payment on July 14th six days after the July 9 due date. He agreed and promised this would not affect my credit rating as long as I paid in full by July 14, which I did. Later that month when applying for a mortgage my wife was denied because of a late payment to British Gas. We rang them furious. It took a long time and listening back to the recording of the original call to the call centre, but they eventually admitted it was their mistake and agreed to send a correction. My credit file was updated as clear within two weeks but now two months later my wife's still says late payment. We feel like we are in a Kafka novel with the credit agencies emailing us saying British Gas have told them the late payment is correct and British Gas emailing us saying they have told the credit agencies to make the correction. We have written a complaint to the ICO and I am preparing a complaint to Ofgem and my MP. I believe it quite unethical that a company can ruin your credit rating based on its own mistake. Any suggestions?

Hi Elsa,

Thank you for your reply. Ive send numerous letters to Andy Eley but they dont seem to get me a result, they have admitted there have been errors!!!!!! I did doctor Niddys letter and had added that in my complaint to BG. The problem started last June when my delightful husband changed the bills into my name without telling me, it took BG 7 months to notify me, if they had done this staright away as they should have I could have delt with it. I complained that they had no right to put it into my name and more the fact it took them 7 months to tell me. I was told that they can put any bill into anyones name!!!!! I have actually got 9 account numbers. I spoke to a lady in the credit department 5 weeks ago and she said I had been treated badly and she would have theses markers removed ans call me at the end of the day.. as I thought ive never heard from her. They are having trouble tracing her call to me which is in India although all calls are recorded. I ring 3 to 4 times a day and they can see that. Myself and my young daughter will be homeless shortly, I cant rent as they do credit checks and rented propertys are very short in the area I live in. I have a big house, a buisiness but cant get a mortgage. Ive never had anything like this on my file. Is it breaching my human rights as im not able to provide myself and Holly the bare essentials to live..... a house??????